The ku klux klans history of terror snapshots in history by. Birmingham remembers the deadly 1963 church bombing by the kkk. The story is based on a reallife kkk bombing that killed four africanamerican girls on the 15th of september 1963. The first section is the main narrative poem, depicting different childhood events that took place on the birthday of a fictional african american girl. Bearing witness to the aftermath of the birmingham church. Alabama denies parole for exklansman in 1963 birmingham church bombing. In 1963, the eyes of the world were on birmingham, alabama, a flashpoint for the civil rights movement. The influence of the kkk was such that childrens books that showed black and white rabbits together were banned from sale in book shops in the city. The 1963 birmingham church bombing was a crucial event in the city of birmingham, alabama. The 16th street baptist church bombing was an act of white supremacist terrorism which occurred at the africanamerican 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, on sunday, september 15, 1963. The birmingham church bombing occurred on september 15, 1963, when a bomb exploded before sunday morning services at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabamaa church with a.
Traumatised by what they have witnessed, the watsons return home and kenny tries to come to terms with the imperfect world in which they live. On september 15th, 1963 the klu klux klan planted dynamite on the outside. The ku klux klans history of terror snapshots in history library binding january 1, 2009. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Outrage as last surviving member of kkk alabama church bombing that killed four young girls in 1963 prepares for early release.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In this tragic event, the ku klux klan planted nineteen sticks of dynamite under the steps of the church, and in the aftermath, four young girls were killed. Doug jones, the birmingham church bombing and trumps. Four young girls, addie mae collins age 14, denise mcnair age 11, carole robertson age 14, and cynthia wesley age 14 were murdered when the sixteenth street baptist church in birmingham, alabama was bombed on sunday, september 15. The history of the 1963 16th street baptist church bombing new. Despite the intense fbi investigation no arrests were made until years after the bombing, and it was more than a decade before state authorities took action and arrested the kkk leader robert chambliss. The children of birmingham 1963 and the turning point of. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. On september 15, 1963, tragedy struck in birmingham, alabama. The bells of the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, ala. Haven to the souths most violent ku klux klan chapter, birmingham was probably the most segregated city in the country. In the novel, the incident is depicted as occurring a bit.
On the morning of may 11, 1963, state troopers were withdrawing from birmingham under orders from governor george wallace. The ku klux klans history of terror snapshots in history 9780756540920. In 1963, alabama was the center of a nonviolent civil rights movement led by martin luther king and others that was met with violence from the ku klux klan and state and local officials trying to. Its also a city grappling with a painful past, one that includes lynching and marches and the ku klux klan. Dozens of unsolved bombings and police killings had terrorized the black. What you should know about the four girls killed in the 1963 birmingham bombing.
Four young africanamerican girls who were preparing for the worship. Resulting in 14 injuries and the death of four girls, the attack garnered widespread national outrage. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. This undated file photo shows alabama inmate thomas edwin blanton jr. Trump says man who helped convict klan members in church bombing case is soft on crime.
Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. During the civil rights movement, it was a very racist time period. In new book,fifth little girl describes first hand account of. Racial bombings were so frequent in birmingham that it became kno. Kkk member convicted in 1963 church bombing up for parole. The birmingham riot of 1963 was a civil disorder in birmingham, alabama, that was provoked by bombings on the night of may 11, 1963.
Kkk member convicted of murder in the bombing of birminghams 16th street baptist church. The nation greeted the racial atrocity with abject horror. Thorne, an author and retired police officer, tonight launches her new book that takes a look at the investigation that led to. A distinguished work of legal and personal history, the book is destined to. September the street baptist church after a kkk bombing that killed four girls in a sunday school class. Condoleezza rice on the 1963 bombing of the 16th street baptist church cspan. Condoleezza rice on the 1963 bombing of the 16th street. Birmingham author launches book on 1963 sixteenth street. Four young africanamerican girls who were preparing for the worship service died in the blast. Alabama denies parole for exklansman in 1963 birmingham. The watsons go to birmingham 1963 won a newbery honor in 1996. Doug jones tells the story of his prosecution of two of the kkk men who, on september 15, 1963, were responsible for the bombing of the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, with resulted in the murder of four young girls and the injury of more than twenty other people. Former klansmen indicted for murder in 1963 bombing of birmingham, alabama church by jerry white 20 may 2000 two former ku klux klansmen who have long been suspects in the 1963 bombing that killed.
Magnum photos has visually documented most of the worlds major events and personalities since the covering society, politics, events and conflict danny lyon usa. Former klansman convicted in deadly 1963 bombing of. Thomas edwin blanton is serving a life sentence for being part of a. Resulting in 14 injuries and the death of four girls, the attack garnered widespread national. Explain why the kkk bombers chose the 16th street baptist church. Chris mcnair hold a picture of their daughter, denise, 11, in birmingham on sept. Bearing witness to the aftermath of the birmingham church bombing on september 15, 1963, four were killed in the ku klux klan bombing of the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama.
How did the i have a dream speech affect the ku klux klan to bomb the church. The violent attack drew national attention to the struggle for equality in birmingham. The ku klux klan planted a bomb in the church in 1963, killing four girls. Brief background of birmingham riots 1963 birmingham city was known as americas worst city for racism. Kkk members bombed the church on september 15, 1963, killing four girls and injuring many more. The fbi suspected four particularly radical ku klux klan members. Author diane mcwhorter describes the scene in her book carry.
Powerfully moving poetry book on the birmingham bombings at the sixteenth. Birmingham 1963 and the kkk english 12 african heritage birmingham alabama in the 60s kkk stronghold america s most racist city mlk what is the kkk. They were very mad and they didnt want people thinking blacks were equal with whites. The bombing the bombing of birmingham, alabama in 1963.
Denise mcnair 11, addie mae collins 14, carole robertson 14, cynthia wesley 14, were all attending sunday school along with others that morning. She visited the church and memorial dedicated to the bombing. The ku klux klans history of terror snapshots in history at. The horrific scene at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham was one. On a quiet sunday morning in september 1963, a bomb blew open the sixteenth street baptist church in birmingham, alabama. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Former klansmen indicted for murder in 1963 bombing of. Outrage as kkk member convicted in 1963 bombing is up for.
Racist violence killed four girls in the 1963 birmingham. At the time of the bombing, racial tensions were running high in birmingham. Birmingham, alabama hundreds of people black and white filled an alabama church that was bombed by the ku klux klan 50 years ago to mark the anniversary of a blast that killed four little girls. How doug jones brought kkk church bombers to justice history.
Sarah collins rudolph has authored a book telling her eye witness account of the klan bombing of. In 1963 an explosion ripped through the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, killing four young girls and marking a seminal moment in the civil rights movement as rick schmitt writes. The terrorist attack occurred on september 15, 1963, when a bomb went off at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama. Birmingham remembers the deadly 1963 church bombing by the. Violence against the black community in birmingham was not unusual but the deliberate bombing of a church took that violence to a new level.
Birmingham, 1963 by carole boston weatherford goodreads. The 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama was. This is my favorite of the books ive read about the september 1963 bombing of the. Because there were so many bombings in birmingham, folks began.
A poetic tribute to the victims of the racially motivated church bombing that served as a seminal event in the struggle for civil rights. Birmingham, 1963 shares a fictional account of an eyewitness, in the year i turned ten, to the bombing of the sixteenth street baptist church, a meeting place for civil rights organizers. The 1963 birmingham church bombing is remembered as one of the darkest days in the civil rights movement. Members of the ku klux klan called in bomb threats to the church. The bombings targeted black leaders of the birmingham campaign, a mass protest for racial justice. The blast killed four girls who were preparing for a church service and left many others injured. The 1963 bombing of the sixteenth street baptist church was an act a racial violence. Investigator ben allen had been alerted about a potential bombing of the gaston motel by a source within the kkk and. Back in the 1920s, the ku klux klans anticatholicism proved useful to coal and steel industrialists, who figured that if their work force of americanborn protestants and immigrant catholics fought each other, there was no danger of union solidarity even among whites, let alone across color lines, mcwhorter writes. Four african american girls were killed in a bombing that happened at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama.
This church bombing was an unforgettable act of american terrorism by white supremacist members of the ku klux klan, the law in disguise for the 16th street baptist church bombing in birmingham, alabama, september 15, 1963. Former ku klux klansman thomas blanton, 62, was convicted of four counts of firstdegree murder tuesday, may 1 in the 1963 bombing of the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, which. Birmingham was a main part of the civil rights movement, sixteenth baptist church was the organized place for the. Birmingham, alabama hundreds of people black and white filled an alabama church that was bombed by the ku klux klan 50 years ago to. Why did the people bomb the church in birmingham 1963. Little girls killed in the 16th street baptist church. It consisted of the kkk, the separation of blacks and whites, and of course the church bombing. Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the united states. Four members of a local ku klux klan chapter planted at least 15 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device beneath the steps located on the east side of the church. The lone surviving ku klux klan member convicted in an alabama church bombing that killed four black girls in 1963 is up for parole after spending 15 years in prison for murder.
721 1496 376 1354 1170 109 330 697 1620 1054 584 1216 1037 39 764 68 836 118 1044 1611 311 463 1171 741 1024 1558 1184 86 393 587 1540 739 1504 1046 1204 634 241 349 716 179 1335 39 744 673 1393